Heart attack symptoms may differ between genders

Monday

Apr 1, 2013 at 12:18 PM

Women may not be from Venus and men from Mars, but sometimes there are gender differences when it comes to symptoms of having a heart attack.

BY DWIGHT DAVISThe Dispatch

Women may not be from Venus and men from Mars, but sometimes there are gender differences when it comes to symptoms of having a heart attack.Though either sex may experience atypical symptoms, according to Dr. Katie Twomley, cardiologist at Wake Forest Baptist Health — Lexington Medical Center, recent studies have shown sometimes women may not experience the classic, crushing chest pains or extreme tightness in the chest. Symptoms could present themselves through nausea, jaw and neck pain, fatigue or shortness of breath, Twomley explains."Their symptoms could be more respiratory driven than pain-driven, associated with shortness of breath while doing different activities, something they do on a daily basis, such as vacuuming."Often, too, either gender may experience random pains in various parts of the upper body. If the pains are significant, Twomley encourages people to go to the nearest emergency room and get checked out. "Don't worry about feeling foolish," she said. "Sometimes people have pains that are not heart-related and never figure out what they are."When people experience pain that concerns them, Twomley advises that they should chew four chewable aspirins and go to the emergency room.Various bodily responses will mimic a heart attack, and "they are absolutely, very scary, the local cardiologist said. "Reflux is number one ...esophageal spasms," she said. "Also, lung-related issues may cause tightness of the chest. In smokers, the chest wall could create pain, but that's more associated with the lining of the lungs."Muscular or skeletal pain could be a result of lifting and create pain in the chest as well. In addition to other health dynamics, Twomley points out that diabetics may not experience the classic chest pains associated with a heart attack, either. "In general, that's because their nerve endings are damaged compared to the non-diabetic population." With people who may have experienced sporadic pain in random areas of the upper body, Twomley says she tries to have those patients associate these type of pains with some physical activity that day or recent consumption of a certain food or drink."Generally, I ask them to try to keep track of what they are doing that day when they have those pains. Do they occur after meal consumption, or having coffee? Anything that is occurring more frequently, you should take it seriously and talk to your doctor about it."Cancer patients who have been treated with radiation or chemotherapy may also experience pains that mimic heart attacks.Every year, about 715,000 Americans have a heart attack, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 600,000 people die from heart disease in the United States each year — that's one out of every four deaths. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women.Dwight Davis can be reached at 249-3981, ext, 226 or at dwight.davis@the-dispatch.com.